Quality Time
by Face of Poe
Summary: A silly AU vignette in which Kyp Durron finds that he must be... in charge and responsible for a whole week! Of course, the Solos and Jag come to the rescue. J/J, H/L, ambiguous time frame.


**A/N**: This fic was written as a gift for _**Future ADA**_, who is the proud aunt of a newborn niece named Cora. Aw. :-)

**Note**- this does NOT fall in any particular time frame or AU – it is just AU in general.

**Disclaimer**: Just playing with Star Wars for my own silly amusement- I do not own it, unfortunately.

**Quality Time**

As Kyp Durron stared down at the dozing face of ten-month-old baby Layni, he decided that babies and fatherhood weren't so scary after all. When his wife had informed him that she had to spend a week on Kuat for some family matters, the prospect of being left alone for the first time as a _father_- well, it had terrified him.

But as little Layni yawned and burrowed unconsciously against her father's warm cloak, he couldn't stop the silly but admiring grin as he looked at his first-born. Her dark hair was finally starting to grow out a little bit, her eyes were deepening in color but remained hovering at a beautiful blue-green that captivated him every time she looked at him.

Yes, his first-born was a gorgeous little girl.

A soft tap sounded on the door to the apartment, and he carefully laid Layni down in her bassinet before quietly exiting the nursery and hurrying to open the door before another tap woke the sleeping child. A smile that was slightly relieved- he was a nervous father, after all- crossed his face as he saw Jaina and Jag standing there, a squirming and anxious child in Jaina's arms.

"She just would _not_ go to sleep," Jaina informed him exasperatedly. "I think she missed you guys."

Kyp drew Kaylin into his arms and she stared sternly back at him, blue-green eyes just as beautiful as those of her older sister; Layni was, after all, eight minutes older. "It's okay now," he murmured as he stroked her dark head and gave her mind the slightest comforting brush with the Force. "Thanks for watching out for her today," he said over his shoulder to Jaina and Jag as they followed him back to the nursery where he laid the already-yawning Kaylin into the crib next to her sister.

"No problem," Jag replied, humor evident in his voice. "So, tomorrow- switch off? We get Layni and you get-"

"Wrong," a new and irritated voice interrupted. "Tomorrow, _we_ get Layni- she's the _nice_ one."

Han and Leia stood there, Han glaring back and forth with the narrow-eyed little girl in Leia's arms. Letting out a soft sigh of resignation, Kyp had to admit that Han had a point. His youngest daughter, Cora- twenty minutes younger than Layni, twelve minutes younger than Kaylin- had a bit of attitude if things weren't going precisely her way. And having her mother stuck on Kuat for a week was _not_ Cora's idea of a good time.

"She was fine," Leia assured him hurriedly as Kyp pulled Cora into his arms. "Just having a little… battle of wills… with Han."

Han glowered at the girl. Her piercing eyes met his and she drew a deep breath- Kyp braced himself- and she screamed.

"Dad!" Jaina exclaimed as both Layni and Kaylin came awake with cries of their own at the unexpected sound.

"Maybe we should just…" Jag gestured over his shoulder and Kyp nodded wearily. "We'll be back in the morning for Cora."

"No," Kyp sighed, "I think she'll mutiny if I don't spend tomorrow with her. Jaina, Jag, you guys take Layni tomorrow; Han, Leia, Kaylin. And then the next day, Jaina and Jag can try their hands with Cora and Han and Leia can watch out for Layni while I get my day with Kaylin."

The screaming was only intensifying but the five adults in the room were strangely impervious to the sound by now. "Very equal opportunity of you, kid," Han grinned. "What do you think the missus is going to say when she finds out that your idea of taking good care of them is a rotating schedule of babysitters…?"

"Ah," Kyp held up a finger, "that question makes the automatic assumption that she'll find out which I _know she won't_," he glared around at them while they all attempted to conceal smiles- well, all of them except Han, who was still grinning roguishly. "Now get out of here, I have damage control to do if I want any hope of sleep tonight…"

Twenty minutes later, with the apartment to himself and his girls again, Kyp rocked Cora to sleep at last in his arms, her older sisters already happily dozing again. And for the thousandth time- at least- he wondered how it was that their mother, with no powers in the Force, managed the three of them with so much more ease than he seemed able.

"Ah well," he murmured softly as Cora's eyes, just as gorgeous as her sisters', drifted closed. "I think we're doing okay on our own."

And, as though in agreement, he sensed his youngest daughter's final surrender to unconsciousness. With a soft smile, he carefully stood and laid her in the last crib by her sisters, and then just stood there in the middle of the room for a long time, watching the three of them sleep.

"Now that I have your attention," he murmured softly, "let's talk about how you'll always be _my_ little girls. That means no boys, no dating- in fact, how about no growing up past the age of eleven or so? And Cora," he touched his hand to her soft little head, "you're going to grow up to be a little heart-breaker; Layni," he peered down at one of the other cribs, "you're too sweet for your own good. And Kaylin," his voice became stern but remained quiet, "I've seen those looks you've given to Ben, so there will be absolutely _no_ growing up for you. Understood?"

They slept on, unawares, until Kyp finally sighed and settled himself in the chair across the room, folded his hands across his stomach, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. He had plenty of time to worry about his girls growing up- he could at least wait until morning to continue forbidding them to do so.

X-X


End file.
